Class Schedule July – December 2025

Floral Portraits with Tom Hennessy | July 19 | IN-PERSON

If you like to photograph flowers, this workshop will show you how to set up a tabletop studio to photograph flowers from your garden or from the florist. You’ll have a fun, hands-on day of photographing a variety of flowers using different lights and backgrounds. You’ll spend the afternoon editing your work under Tom’s guidance. Many of the beautiful images in Garden publications, Instagram and on our website are by the instructor, Tom Hennessy. Enjoy a workshop with this talented photographer and walk away with enhanced techniques and photography skills!

Smarter Smartphone Photography | August 23 | IN-PERSON

This course is designed to give you the knowledge to produce pro-level photos with your smartphone. In the first session, we’ll focus on image capturing and in the second session, we’ll introduce you to basic editing you can do to bring out the best in every photo you take. You’ll leave with a variety of professional quality photos you took in the Garden, no costly camera equipment needed! All you’ll need is a smartphone equipped with a camera.

NEW! Fall for Birds Photography Workshop | September 6, 13 | IN-PERSON

Everyone loves birds so why not learn how to photograph them? It can be easier if you have a 200mm or longer lens but there are also tricks of the trade that can bring birds to you, even in your own back yard!

Our first class will discuss bird photography and techniques used to capture great images of birds. Learning bird behavior, where to find birds, how to attract them, and learning that patience is a huge part of bird photography will be discussed. We will practice some techniques in the Garden. In the follow up class there will be a critique where students are encouraged to share their best work and any discoveries they had made or difficulties they ran into. This is a fun learning experience in itself!

Nighttime Photography featuring GardenFest | November 17 | IN-PERSON

Learn how to take beautiful, professional-looking photos of the magical lights that abound this holiday, using our GardenFest light displays as your laboratory! Join professional photographer, Tom Hennessy, for this hands-on nighttime photography workshop where you’ll sharpen your skills at capturing illuminated objects and landscapes. With Tom’s guidance, you will photograph GardenFest’s many lighted displays at dusk, after sunset, and in fully dark conditions. You’ll be practicing new techniques, and by the end of the evening, gain skills to photograph other illuminated oblects like city skylines, moonlit evenings and more! Students need to bring a DSLR camera, and it is recommended to have an adjustable camera and tripod, as nighttime exposures can be long.

Smartphone Photography at Night: Gardenfest! | December 8 | IN-PERSON

Night photography has its own set of challenges separate and apart from normal daylight photography. Fortunately, smartphones are well-equipped to handle those challenges – if we know how to take advantage of them. This is a three-hour class beginning at 4 pm while there is still a bit of daylight left, transitioning to complete darkness by the end of class. Illumination is provided by the 2+ million lights for which Gardenfest is famous. Unlike DSLR photography, tripods are not required, though if you have one with a smartphone rig, feel free to bring it. And be sure to dress warmly!